Power Outage Closes Some Stratford Businesses Early

When the power went out on Main Street at around 9:50 p.m., some downtown businesses were left in the dark a little early.

Businesses including McCoy's Pub and Acapulcos were already closed by 10:15 p.m. McCoy's general manager Gregory Smith said he had "no clue what happened" when outages stopped service cold.

"I've got about $3,000 worth of food sitting in there right now," said Smith. "Obviously, when your power goes out, so does your ventilation. I had to tell everybody to leave because the smoke fumes were starting to come out into the restaurant."

Smith said the bar and neighboring Acapulcos closed due to concerns for patrons' safety.

"I'm lucky enough to know most of the people who come here, so I kept a tab for them and I'll hit them up the next time they come in," he said. "That's one thing about being liked in your community -- you can do that!"

As of 11:00 p.m., UI workers on the scene said they weren't sure what caused the outage, but added much of downtown and the historic district were affected. With street lights and stoplights out, drivers and pedestrians used caution navigating the unusually dark area.

"It's totally dark around here," said resident Kevin Maiorano, who was inside McCoy's with friends when power went out, adding, "I blame Magneto."

On Facebook, some Stratford Patch readers -- particularly those in and around the Historic District -- reported power losses at home during the night, including on Ferry Boulevard and Judson Place. One reader reported a power outage during dinner at 99 Restaurant.

Additionally, a two-car accident at the intersection of Main Street and Stratford Avenue drew multiple police, fire and emergency workers during the outage. Police closed the intersection and redirected traffic to Stratford Avenue during the response.

No reports are available on injuries at this time.

UI workers near the scene of the accident restored power at about 10:50 p.m.